Exoskeleton and method of using the same

ABSTRACT

An exoskeleton designed to be worn by a user is generally configured to support and transfer the load supported by the head, the neck and/or the torso (shoulders, chest and/or back) of the user down to the ground. The exoskeleton is generally passive and comprises at least three interconnected sections: torso, hip, and leg sections. Each of the sections generally comprises of a plurality of interconnected rigid members which form the load-bearing structure of the exoskeleton. When a user wears the exoskeleton, load normally carried by the head, neck and/or torso of the user is at least partially supported and transferred to the ground by the exoskeleton, thereby reducing the load effectively supported by the user itself. The leg sections of the exoskeleton are designed to ensure that the load-bearing final location is located on the inner side of the feet, in accordance with human biomechanics.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent application claims the benefits of priority of U.S.Patent Application No. 62/013,722, entitled “Passive Exoskeleton andMethod of Using the Same”, and filed at the United States Patent andTrademark Office on Jun. 18, 2014, the content of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to exoskeletons and otherwearable structures configured to assist humans in carrying loads, andmore particularly relates to passive and/or non-powered exoskeletons andother passive and/or non-powered wearable structures configured toassist humans in carrying loads.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Helping users carrying heavy loads has long been a need in manycircumstances. For example, soldiers in the field, firefighters, policeofficers, antiriot squads, but also construction workers, and hikers,are often faced with the problem of carrying heavy loads, sometimes overlong distances. Solutions to such a problem that have been proposed overthe years, have sometimes taken the form of a portable structure, alsoknown as an exoskeleton, to be worn by the user, sometimes as acomplement to the legs, sometimes through the legs and torso.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,474,672 by Keith teaches an arrangement for replaceablysupporting a backpack having a load on the back of the user andtransferring the load of the backpack to the ground by way of the legsof the user while allowing the user to take steps unhindered. However,such arrangement does not allow for flexibility of the legs, when theuser often needs to be able to squat.

Most of the solutions proposed are powered, i.e. comprise motor drivenmechanism for helping the carrying of the load. For example, U.S. PatentApplication No. 2011/0264014 (Angold et al.) teaches a portable loadlifting system.

Other prior art provides extension frames which extend from anexoskeleton trunk and are configured to hold a load in front of a personwearing the exoskeleton, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 8,057,410 B2 (Angoldet al.). While useful, such a configuration does not provide for easymanipulation of a load by the wearer over a long distance. Additionally,such a device does not address the problem of unequal weightdistribution about an exoskeleton trunk, which could cause significantbalancing problems for a wearer of the exoskeleton, while the wearer isstationary as well as walking.

Therefore, most of the prior art consists of powered exoskeletons,which, although useful in certain circumstances, may be inadequate, dueto the excess weight, costs, dependence on power supply, and lack ofergonomic mobility for the user.

Furthermore, most of the prior art consists of exoskeletons which havetheir load bearing design directed on the outside of the leg, which isnot compatible with the human biomechanics and which may cause seriousinjuries to the user. See for instance U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,474,672 B1(Keith) and 8,968,222 B2 (Kazerooni et al.), or U.S. patent applicationNo. US 2013/0303950 A1 (Angold et al.).

Therefore, despite ongoing developments in the field of load-carryingexoskeletons, there is a need for novel biomimetic non-poweredload-carrying exoskeletons that can mitigate some of the shortcomings ofthe prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The shortcomings of prior art exoskeletons are at least mitigated by anexoskeleton, such as a passive exoskeleton, which is configured to beworn by a user such as to support and transfer load normally carried bythe user down to the ground, thereby reducing the load support by theuser itself.

The invention is first directed to an exoskeleton configured to be wornby a user to support and transfer a load carried by the user down to theground; the exoskeleton comprising a torso section connected to a legsection via a hip section such as to transfer the load carried by thetorso section down to the ground via the hip section and then the legsection; wherein the leg section comprises two symmetrical articulatedleg assemblies, each leg assembly being adapted to be maintained on eachuser's leg and to follow the leg's movements when the exoskeleton is inuse, each leg assembly having an upper end operatively connected to anouter side of the hip section and a bottom end adapted to be in contactwith the ground, each leg assembly being configured to transfer the loadfrom the outer side of the hip section to an inner side of the user'sleg before connecting to the ground.

The invention is also directed to a method for supporting andtransferring a load carried down to the ground, the method comprisingthe steps of:

-   -   wearing the exoskeleton as described herein;    -   providing at least one load; and    -   carrying the at least one load using the torso section of the        exoskeleton for transferring the at least one load from the        outer side of the hip section to an inner side of the leg        section before connecting the leg section to the ground.

The invention is also directed to a method for supporting andtransferring a load carried down to the ground, the method comprisingthe steps of:

-   -   wearing an exoskeleton comprising a torso section downwardly        connected to a leg section via a hip section; and    -   transferring the load carried by the torso section of the        exoskeleton from the outer side of the hip section to an inner        side of the leg section before connecting the leg section to the        ground.

In use, a user will wear the exoskeleton to assist it in carrying loads.As a load is applied to the torso of the user, the load will at least bepartially supported by the torso section and will be transferred down tothe hip section via the torso section and its connection with the hipsection. The hip section will then further transfer the load down to theleg section. Finally, the load will be transferred to the ground via theleg section. In that sense, the final left and right load-bearingcontact points are located on the inner the side of the left and rightfeet.

To allow a load transfer more aligned with human biomechanics, the legsections of the exoskeleton are generally connected to the sides of thehip section but are configured to transfer the load on the inner side ofthe feet. Accordingly, the transfer of the load from the outside of thehip down to the inside of the legs advantageously ease the movements ofthe user wearing the exoskeleton, even when carrying important loads,extending as such the distance and/or time the user will carried theloads.

Though various users could use an exoskeleton in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention, such an exoskeleton can beadvantageously worn by soldiers, police officers (including antiriot andSWAT team personnel), firefighters, construction workers, cameraoperators, and hikers to assist them in carrying loads.

Other and further aspects and advantages of the present invention willbe better understood with the illustrative embodiments about to bedescribed or indicated in the appended claims, and various advantagesnot referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art uponemployment of the invention in practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the inventionwill become more readily apparent from the following description,reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of an exoskeleton inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the torso section of theexoskeleton of FIG.

1.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the torso section of theexoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the hip section of the exoskeletonof FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the hip section of the exoskeletonof FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the leg sections of theexoskeleton of FIG.

1.

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the leg sections of theexoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a partial front perspective view of the lower portion of theleg sections of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a partial rear perspective view of the lower portion of theleg sections of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the neck section of theexoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the neck section of theexoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1,further showing a covering vest.

FIG. 18 is a front view of the leg section of the exoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 19 is a front view of the leg sections of the exoskeleton of FIG.1.

FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of the leg sections of theexoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of the lower body sections of theexoskeleton of FIG. 1.

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of the vertebrae section of the exoskeletonof FIG. 1.

FIG. 23 is a schematic view of the vertebrae section of the exoskeletonof FIG. 1.

FIG. 24 is a schematic view of the vertebrae section of the exoskeletonof FIG. 1.

FIG. 25 is a rear view of the torso sections of the exoskeleton of FIG.1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A novel load carriage exoskeleton will be described hereinafter.Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrativeembodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments describedherein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention isnot intended to be limited thereby.

An exoskeleton in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention generally comprises at least three interconnected sections, 1)a torso section, 2) a hip section, and 3) leg sections. These threesections are interconnected such as to transfer the load normallycarried by the torso, including the shoulders, chest, and back of theuser, down to the ground via the hip section and then the leg sections.

To allow a load transfer which is more aligned with human biomechanics,the leg sections of the exoskeleton are generally connected to the sidesof the hip section but are configured to transfer the load on the innerside of the feet.

In typical embodiments, the torso section of the exoskeleton generallycomprises a shoulder member configured to rest on the shoulders of theuser, and a spine assembly comprising a plurality of spinal members. Theuppermost spinal member is connected to, or integral with, the shouldermember, while the lowermost spinal member is connected to the hipsection. The shoulder and spinal members are interconnected by resilientmembers (e.g. springs) to allow the spine assembly to compress or extendunder load and to allow the spine assembly to relatively follow themovements of the user. The torso section generally supports andtransfers load normally carried by the shoulders and torso of the usertoward the ground via the hip section and then the leg sections.

In some embodiments, the torso section also comprises at least one pairof left and right rib members which extend on each side of at least oneintermediate spinal member all the way to the front of the torso of theuser, generally at the level of the lowest ribs, between the thorax andabdomen. When present, these rib members effectively support andtransfer load normally carried by the thorax or abdomen toward thespinal assembly and then toward the ground via the hip and leg sections.

In typical embodiments, the hip section of the exoskeleton generallycomprises a lower back member and left and right hip members extendingfrom each side of the lower back member all the way to the front of theuser. The lower back member receives the lowest extremity of the spineassembly of the torso section. The free extremities of the left andright hip members are provided with complementary fasteners such as tobe attachable together to form a belt. For added comfort, the innersurface of the lower back and hip members are typically lined withresilient material such as elastomeric foam.

In typical embodiments, the leg sections of the exoskeleton comprise aleft leg section and a right leg section. The left and right legsections are generally symmetrical. The left leg section is mounted tothe left hip member of the hip section while the right leg section ismounted to the right hip member of the hip section.

Each leg section generally comprises three main portions, a hip jointassembly, an upper leg member and a lower leg member. The hip jointassembly is mounted to the appropriate hip member of the hip section andto the upper extremity of upper leg member. The hip joint assembly isarticulated to allow the upper leg member to move with respect to thehip section when the user moves (e.g. walking, running, kneeling,squatting, etc.). The upper leg member is connected to the hip jointassembly, and to the lower leg member. The upper extremity of the upperleg member is pivotally mounted to the hip joint assembly, and the lowerextremity of the upper leg member is pivotally connected to the lowerleg member. The pivotal connection between the upper and lower legmembers is generally located at the knee level of the user to allow thelower leg member to follow the movements of the lower leg of the userwith respect to the upper leg. The lower leg member generally extendsdownwardly and toward the inner side of the leg of the user such as totransfer the load from the outside of the leg toward the inside of theleg and down on the inner side of the foot of the user. In that sense,the lower extremity of the lower leg member is terminated with a soleinsert configured to be received in the footwear (e.g. boot) of theuser.

In some embodiments, the exoskeleton also comprises a neck section (afourth section). The neck section is configured to assist in supportingload carried by the head of the user. The neck section is generallyconnected, directly or via a protective vest or suit, to the torsosection such as to transfer the load from the head and neck of the usertoward the torso section which will further transfer the load down viathe hip and leg sections.

In use, a user will wear the exoskeleton to assist it in carrying loads.As a load is applied to the torso (e.g. shoulder, chest and/or back) ofthe user, the load will at least be partially supported by the torsosection (e.g. shoulder member, spine assembly) and will be transferreddown to the hip section via the spine assembly and its connection withthe hip section. The hip section will then further transfer the loaddown to the two leg sections via the connection between the left hipmember and the left leg section, and via the connection between theright hip member and the right leg section. Finally, the load will betransferred to the ground via the left and right sole inserts located inthe footwear of the user. In that sense, as mentioned above, the finalleft and right load-bearing contact points are located on the inner theside of the left and right feet.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the exoskeleton maycomprise a plurality of subsystems:

Sub-system 1: Lower Limbs

Sole: embedded directly inside the sole of the soldier's boot, thismetallic sole is the foundation, the siege of the balance andequilibrium necessary for this device to properly transfer and redirectthe load from the whole body to the floor.

Foot extension mechanism: this is the junction between the foot and thelower side of the tibia.

Outside Medial Malleus connector: this area of the device isspecifically designed to ensure proper transfer of the load abovewithout impeding donning/doffing of the boots.

Inside Medial Malleus connector: this area of the device is specificallydesigned to ensure proper transfer of the load above without impedingdonning/doffing of the boots.

Tibia-Knee extension mechanism: this is the lower area of the knee as acontinuation of the tibia.

Front-Tibia Extender mechanism: this area opens up just in front of thetibia to allow proper transfer of the redirected load coming from above.

Back-Tibia Connector mechanism: this area allows proper attachment ofthe device to the back of the tibia.

Front-Hip Extender mechanism: this area opens up just in front of thehip to allow proper transfer of the redirected load coming from above.

Back-Thigh Connector mechanism: this area allows proper attachment ofthe device to the back of the hip.

Belt-Thigh Junction Pivot: this junction mechanism allows propermovement of the hip/thigh area while ensuring proper load transfer.

Thigh abduction Extender: this area makes the bridge between the upperbody loads transferred below via the belt system.

Sub-System 2: Belt

Belt-Thigh Junction Connector: this area allows proper attachment of thedevice to the back of the tibia.

Belt Track mechanism: this area allows proper attachment of the deviceto the back of the tibia.

Sub-System 3: Upper Body

Load-Lifter Wings: this part lifts the weight away from the shoulderstorso so as to free the body from this load which will be redirected tothe floor via the transfer mechanisms.

Vertebrae: this part acts like a human spine allowing proper mobility ofthe upper torso before connecting to the belt for transmission of theload coming from above.

Vertebrae-Ribs: This is a special vertebrae, unlike the others (o),which extends/grow two floating ribs that will embrace the torso fromback to front.

Rib-plate Connector: This part located at the extremity of the floatingrib helps avoid compression of the torso by slightly pushing the tightballistic vest away.

Rib Adjustment Track: This is the mechanism that allows properadjustment and fixation of this entire sub-system of the exoskeleton onthe torso.

Sub-System 4: Upper Shoulder

Upper-Ear Pivot Branch: This is the highest part of the upper shouldersub-system which is connected to the helmet. This sub-system utilizes anAssisted Torque System (ATS) to literally assist and control the motionof the neck while transferring a portion of the weight of the helmet tothe sub-system below via the Lifter Wings (n).

Lower-Ear Pivot Branch: This is part of the upper shoulder sub-system,with the same function as (s).

Neck Rail Slider: This mechanism allows adjustment of the position ofthe helmet on the upper shoulder sub-system for proper load balancingand movement control/assistance of the neck.

Neck Pivot Branch: This mechanism is also part of the upper shouldersub-system designed to function as described in (s). It mainly concernsthe movement of the neck.

An exoskeleton in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention is generally shown at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The exoskeleton 10is designed to allow a user, carrying a load on its torso, to have theexoskeleton 10 take the load from the torso by lifting it away from thebody of the user and have it redirected to the ground underneath thefoot while the user is standing, walking, running, or squatting. In thepresent embodiment, the exoskeleton 10 is also configured to at leastpartially support the weight of a helmet that the user might be wearing.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 6, the exoskeleton 10 generally comprisesthree main sections, 1) a torso section 100, 2) a hip section 200, and3) leg sections 300L and 300R. These three sections 100, 200 and 300 areinterconnected such as to transfer the load normally carried by thetorso, including the shoulders, chest, and back of the user, down to theground via the torso section 100, the hip section 200 and then the legsections 300L and 300R. In some embodiments, as it will be explainedbelow, the exoskeleton 10 may further comprise a neck section 400.

Understandably, the torso section 100, the hip section 200 and the legsections 300L and 300R are generally respectively configured to bemounted to the torso, around the hips and on the legs of the user. Inthat sense, the torso section 100, the hip section 200 and the legsections 300L and 300R are generally all provided with variousadjustment mechanisms (e.g. straps, lateral and longitudinal adjustmentson the hips (1 inch), on the ankle (half an inch), and on the spine (4inches), as well as mechanical fittings, bolts, screws and nuts) toproperly adjust the various sections 100, 200, 300L and 300R to theparticular size and shape of the body of the user. In the presentembodiments, the adjustment mechanisms include crossing straps tofacilitate the expansion of the muscles. According to one embodiment,the load carriage exoskeleton, although allowing a degree ofadjustability, may be made in different sizes to fit various kind ofbody sizes and types.

With additional reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the torso section 100 maycomprise a shoulder member 110 and a spine assembly 120. As shown inFIG. 7, the shoulder member 110 is located at the upper extremity 122 ofthe spine assembly 120. The shoulder member 110 is generally configuredto take at least a portion of the load applied on the torso of the userand transfer it to the spine assembly 120 which will further transferthe load down via the hip section 200 and to the leg sections 300L and300R.

As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the present embodiment, the shouldermember 110 is generally configured to partially surround the base of theneck of the user. In that sense, the shoulder member 110 comprises twowing-shaped extensions 112L and 112R which define a recess 113 where thebase of the neck of the user can be located.

The spine assembly 120, which is similar to a human spine, generallycomprises a plurality of interconnected spinal members or vertebrae 131to 136. In the present embodiment, the spine assembly 120 comprises 6individual spinal members. However, in other embodiments, the number ofspinal members could be more or less than 6.

The shoulder member 110 and the spinal members 131 to 136 areinterconnected with resilient members (e.g. springs) 150 to 155 in orderfor the spine assembly 120 to compress and extend under the differentload it supports and transfers. The resilient interconnection betweenthe shoulder member 110 and the spinal members 131 to 136 also givesflexibility to the torso section 100 of the exoskeleton 10. Since theexoskeleton 10 is configured to be worn by a user, it may beadvantageous that the exoskeleton 10 be able to follow the movements ofthe user while maintaining its load-bearing capabilities. In the presentembodiment, the resilient interconnection between the shoulder member110 and the spinal members 131 to 136 allows the torso section 100 tosupport at least part of the load applied to the torso of the user whileremaining flexible enough to follow most of the movements of the user.

In the present embodiment, at least one of the spinal members 131 to 136further comprises at least one pair of left and right rib members 140Land 140R which extend on each side of at least one intermediate spinalmember all the way to the front of the torso of the user, generally atthe level of the lowest ribs, between the thorax and abdomen. In thepresent embodiment, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, only spinal member133 comprises rib members 140L and 140R. Rib members 140L and 140R areconfigured to at least partially support a load which would be localizedon the thorax and/or abdomen of the user and to transfer it to the spineassembly 120. In that sense, in the present embodiment, rib members 140Land 140R are respectively terminated by adjustable mounting plates 142Land 142L to which the load could be mounted or attached. In the presentembodiment, the mounting plates 142L and 142R are provided with an arrayof fastener openings 144L and 144R to provide different adjustment forthe mounted or attached load. In a military setting, rib members 140Land 140R and their respective mounting plates 142L and 142R could beused, for example, to at least partially support ballistic plates usedfor protecting soldiers from high velocity bullets and other shrapnel.

Understandably, depending the intended use of the exoskeleton 10, morespinal members could be provided with rib members (if the user has tocarry large front load, e.g. a camera operator) or be devoid of ribmembers altogether (if the user doesn't have to carry large front load,e.g. a hiker).

By virtue of its configuration, the torso section 100 will at leastpartially support a load carried by the torso of the user and transferit down to the hip section 200 which will further transfer it to theground via the leg sections 300L and 300R.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, in addition to FIGS. 1 to 6, the hipsection 200 is a bridging section between the upper torso section 100and the lower leg sections 300L and 300R. In that sense, the hip section200 is generally configured to transfer and redirect the load from theback, where it receives the load from the spine assembly 120, to thesides where it transfers the load to the leg sections 300L and 300R.

In the present embodiment, the hip section 200 comprises a lower backmember 210 and two hip members 220L and 220R extending from each side ofthe lower back member 210 all the way to the front of the user. As bestshown in FIG. 9, the free extremities 222L and 222R of the left andright hip members 220L and 220R are provided with complementaryfasteners 224L and 224R such as to be attachable together to form a belt(see FIG. 9). In the present embodiment, the complementary fasteners224L and 224R are buckle members. However, in other embodiments, thecomplementary fasteners 224L and 224R could be different, for instance,Velcro™ straps.

As shown in FIG. 9 and particularly in FIG. 10, the lower back member210 is connected to the lowest extremity 124 of the spine assembly 120of the torso section 100. The connection between the lowest spinalmember 136 and the lower back member 210 is similar to the connectionbetween the other spinal members 131 to 136.

As best shown in FIG. 9, when the complementary fasteners 224L and 224Rare attached together, the hip section 200 forms a belt which fullycircumscribes the hip region of the user. In the present embodiment, foradded comfort to the user, the inner surface of the lower back member210 and of the hip members 220L and 220R is lined with a layer ofresilient material such as elastomeric foam 230. Notably, in addition toits role in transferring the load from the torso section 100 to the legsections 300L and 300R, the hip section 200 also transfers part of theload to the hips of the user, thereby further contributing toalleviating the load carried by the torso of the user. The layer ofresilient material therefore generally prevents the hip section 200 todefine painful contact points with the hips of the user.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 to 14, to complete the load transfer from thetorso down to the ground, the hip section 200 is connected to the pairof left and right leg sections 300L and 300R. Both leg sections 300L and300R are symmetric in nature, the right leg section 300R being a mirrorimage of the left leg section 300L. In that sense, only the left legsection 300L will be described below.

The left leg section 300L is fixedly yet adjustably connected to theleft hip member 220L of the hip section 200. The left leg section 300Lgenerally comprises three main portions, 1) a hip connector assembly310L, 2) an upper leg member 330L, and 3) a lower leg member 350L.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the hip connector assembly 310L isgenerally responsible to assure the proper connection between the hipsection 200 and the left leg section 300L and while allowing thenecessary degrees of freedom in the movements of the leg section 300L.In that sense, the hip connector assembly 310L comprises a beltconnector 312L, first hip joint member 314L pivotally connected to thebelt connector 312L, a second hip joint member 316L pivotally connectedto the first hip joint member 314L, and a third hip joint member 318Lpivotally connected to the second hip joint member 316L.

As can be seen in FIG. 9, the pivotal connection 313L between the beltconnector 312L and first hip joint member 314L defines a first pivotaxis 323L which allows for lateral movements (i.e. left-right movements)of the leg of the user. For its part, the pivotal connection 315Lbetween the first hip joint member 314L and second hip joint member 316Ldefines a second pivot axis 325L which allows for longitudinal movements(i.e. front-rear movements) of the leg of the user. Finally, the pivotalconnection 317L between the third hip joint member 318L and the secondhip joint member 316L defines a third pivot axis 327L which for axialmovements (i.e. rotational movements) of the leg of the user. The threepivot axes 323L, 325L and 327L are generally perpendicular to eachother, thereby generally providing three degrees of freedom to the restof the leg section 300L and thus to the leg of the user. Hence, byproviding three degrees of freedom, the hip connector assembly 310Lallows the upper and lower leg members 330L and 350L to properly followthe movements of the leg of the user during use.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, the upper leg member 330L is mountedto the hip joint assembly 310L (see also FIGS. 9 and 10) and generallyextends downwardly therefrom. More particularly, the upper extremity332L of the upper leg member 330L is fixedly yet adjustably connected tothe third hip joint member 318L. The adjustable connection 319L betweenthe upper extremity 332L and the third hip joint member 318L generallyprovides height adjustment to take into account legs of various length.

The upper leg member 330L generally comprises two regions, an upperregion 334L and a lower region 336L. As best shown in FIG. 11, the upperregion 334L generally extends from the side (e.g. the thigh region) ofthe user toward the front. Then, extending downwardly from the upperregion 334L is the lower region 336L which is terminated near the kneeby two extremities 338L as the lower region 336L splits.

For its part, the lower leg member 350L is pivotally connected, at itsupper extremities 352L, to the upper leg member 330L, and is terminatedat its lower extremity 358L by a sole insert 370L.

As the upper leg member 330L, the lower leg member 350L also comprisesan upper region 354L and a lower region 356L extending downwardlytherefrom. Notably, as shown in FIG. 11, the upper region 354L of thelower member 350L also splits in two extremities 352L. These twoextremities 352L are pivotally connected to the two extremities 352L ofthe lower region 336L of the upper leg member 330L. The pivotalconnected between the extremities 338L and extremities 352L is generallyaligned with the knee of the user in order to allow the leg of the userto bend along the knee.

Notably, as shown in FIG. 11 (see also FIG. 3), the split configurationof the extremities 338L and extremities 352L defines a central opening340L. This opening 340L allows the knee of the user to extend through itwhen the user kneels or squats.

Reference to FIGS. 11 to 14, the upper region 354L of the lower legmember 350L is generally located at the front of the leg of the userwhile the lower region 356L extends downwardly and toward the inside ofthe leg of the user such as to terminate inside the foot of the user. Inthat sense, the lower region 356L is terminated by a sole insert 370Lconfigured to fit inside the footwear under foot of the user. This soleinsert 370L is pivotally connected to the extremity 358L of the lowerleg member 350L to allow pivotal movements of the foot of the user.

Referring to FIG. 11 or 12, it will be noted that the leg section 330Ltransfers the load from the outer side of the leg of the user, near thethigh, all the way down to the inner side of the leg of the user, nearthe ankle. This load transfer from the outer side of the leg toward theinner side of the leg allows the final load-bearing point to be locatedinside the foot of the user in accordance with the biomechanics of thehuman body. In that sense, since the inner side of the foot is betterconfigured to support load, transferring the load on the inner side ofthe foot can prevent injuries to the user of the exoskeleton 10.

Referring to FIGS. 11-14, when a user is standing straight, walking orrunning, the leg remains in its normal circumference and geometry. Uponkneeling on one leg, two legs, or adopting a crouching position, thecircumference of the leg typically increases within a range varyingbetween none to several inches, depending on the age and ethnicbackground of the individual. This situation applies specifically to thethigh and the calves region of the legs.

Referring to FIGS. 18-21, in the present embodiment, section A (darkgrey: thigh extender which is connected to the knee pivot joint, whichis in turn connected to the tibia extender) generally moves horizontallytowards the inner side of the leg by the expansion of the muscles whenthe user adopts a lower position as described above while Section B(light grey: knee/thigh/tibia mechanism) generally remains fixed anddoes not move.

Referring to FIG. 20, elements 334, 336 and 354 preferably remain fixedand do not move, as opposed to symmetrical counterpart elements of theinner side which typically shifts horizontally towards the inner side ofthe leg by the expansion of the muscles when the user adopts a lowerposition as described above.

Referring now to FIG. 12 (see also FIG. 4), the back of both the upperleg member 330L and lower leg member 350L is provided with strapattachment extensions 380L and 390L each comprises attachment loops 382Land 392L. These loops 382L and 392L are configured to receive attachmentstraps (not shown) to secure the leg section 330L to the leg of theuser. Typically, the straps are elastic and/or adjustable strap toprovide proper attachment between the leg section 330L and the leg ofthe user.

Also, as for the hip section 200, the rear surface of the leg sections380L and 390L could be provided with a layer of resilient material suchas elastomeric foam for added comfort.

As mentioned above, the present embodiment of the exoskeleton 10 alsocomprises a neck section 400 which is generally configured to transferthe load generated by a helmet (not shown) down to the torso section100. As shown in FIG. 17, in the present embodiment, the neck section400 is connected to the torso section 100 via a vest 500. The vest 500is generally integrated with the torso section 100 such as to allow thevest 500 to secure the torso section 100 to the torso of the user. Inthe present embodiment, the vest 500 is made from padded straps 510 andmesh 520.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, to allow the neck section 400 to properlytransfer the load of the helmet down to the torso section 100, the necksection 400 comprises a pair of left and right helmet support members410L and 410R which are configured to be mounted to the helmet viaattachment points 412L and 412R, and which are pivotally connected tofirst neck members 420L and 420R. These two first neck members 420L and420R are further connected to second neck member 430 which is shaped toextend along the rear of the head of the user. This second neck member430 is further connected to a third neck member 440 which extendsdownwardly toward the shoulders of the user. In that sense, the lowerextremities 442L and 442R of the third neck member 440 are provided withvest attachment members 450L and 450R pivotally attached thereto.

In operation, trajectory of the static and dynamic loads along theexoskeleton 10 is as follows.

In the present embodiment, in operation, when the person is standing,walking, or running this exoskeleton system 10 takes the load which istypically on the torso, lifts it away from the body and redirects it tothe floor underneath the foot (i.e. the load is now redirectedstrategically to the area where the bipedal body manages better theload).

While standing, walking, or running, the trajectory of the static anddynamic loads involved is as followed:

-   -   I. The load of the helmet is typically taken off the neck and        redirected down to the shoulders via the transfer mechanisms        412, 415, 430, 442 (see FIG. 15).    -   II. From I, the load is lifted from underneath the shoulders by        the load-lifter wing transfer mechanism 112 (see FIGS. 5-7).    -   III. From II, it flows through the vertebrae 110, 131 to 136        (see Fig, 8) of the artificial spine to reach the hip area 230        (see FIG. 9). Hence, the load is typically on the outside of the        body, just over the hip.    -   IV. From III, it continues through the hip area via the        slider/connector/junctions 319, 323, 312 (see FIG. 10) all the        way down to the legs.    -   V. From IV, it continues through the knee area 319, 354, 356        (see FIG. 11).    -   VI. From V, the load is redirected to the inside of the leg via        transfer mechanisms 356, 358, 359 (see FIG. 11).    -   VII. From VI, the load takes a trajectory describing a 0 to 90        degree (from vertical to horizontal direction—lower interior        side of the tibia towards the big toe) before finally reaching        underneath the foot 370 (see FIG. 11).

In the present embodiment, now referring to FIGS. 22-25, in operation,at certain positions, the functioning of the vertebrae 131 to 136 of thevertebrae assembly (artificial spine) is preferably a self-adjustabledynamic load transfer mechanism designed specifically for the humanspine.

In the present embodiment, the vertebrae assembly 600 is composed ofseveral individual device-parts identified as vertebrae which arecharacterized in 4 types: Lumbar Vertebrae (134 to 136), Rib ShockVertebra 133 (which extends into the Rib Shock assembly connection (140to 144)), Thoracic Vertebrae 131-132 and Upper Vertebra 110 (whichextends into the Load-lifter wings 112).

Referring to FIG. 22, the vertebrae assembly 600 comprises telescopicinternal springs 610, inter-vertebrae springs 620, and spherical contactload transfer 630.

Each one of these vertebrae (110, 131 to 136) preferably moves freely inrelation to others on 4 axis: rotation, flexion, lateral flexion andtranslation. The upper vertebra (110) is typically the device-part thathas the capacity to handle the load. The functioning of this vertebraeassembly with regards to the global system sustaining a certain chargedepends on the specific posture/activities/positions as well as transfermechanisms described below:

Standing Straight, Walking, Running and Prone Position

In the present embodiment, referring to FIG. 23, while standing straightall vertebrae (110, 131 to 136) (see FIG. 8) from the assembly aredirectly in contact trough the spherical contact surface 111, 112 at theextremity of each vertebra.

While walking and running, the load will still be transmitted throughthis direct contact. Also if a limited leaning motion is performed (lessthan 10 degrees) on any side, the vertebrae assembly will still transferthe load (or translate) through direct contact.

Leaning on Any Side and Kneeling

Once the movement of the user reaches a more than 10 degree-leaningmotion, the spine typically extends following a certain pattern: lumbarsection translates more than the other sections; the other sectionstranslate in a similar way.

Referring to FIG. 23, when the spine extends, it generally creates atranslation between each vertebra points of contact 111, 112 whichdisconnects the spherical surface contact that is supporting the load instraight position. To continue transferring the load the assembly usesthe inner tube contact inside the vertebrae 115. It's the two contactscreated by the scaffold points of contact 111, 112 and 116, 117 that nowtransfers the load. This mechanism is identified as the scaffold.

Still referring to FIG. 23, as the scaffold mechanism increases, alarger angle of flexibility is obtained between the vertebrae 131 to 136(see FIG. 8); so the more there is a leaning motion, the more thetranslation between vertebrae 131 to 136 (see FIG. 8) increases, and themore flexible they become. The lumbar vertebrae translate so much that atelescopic mechanism 113, 114 has been incorporated inside them tocompensate excessive translation that occurs in a ‘kneeling’ position.To ensure proper functioning of the whole system, the device-parts ofthe vertebrae assembly need to hold together adequately on the user.Therefore, springs, elastics, and textile retainers are inherentlyintegrated to the design of this vertebrae assembly.

Springs, Elastics and Textile Retainers

A spring is inserted inside each vertebra 131 to 136 (see FIG. 8); thisspring pushes the other vertebrae 131 to 136 (see FIG. 8) apart (seeFIG. 22). A specific spring is inserted into the lumbar section toactivate the telescopic mechanism of the Lumbar vertebrae (see FIG. 22).The global assembly is then tightened by an elastic that pulls the wholevertebrae assembly together (see FIGS. 24-25).

Self-Adjustable

This mechanism is preferably self-adjustable in a way that moving withthe load on the shoulder is rendered effortless.

Upon movement of the user, a slight offset (from the center of the body)of the position of the load vector is triggered; this offset generallyengages the vertebrae 131 to 136 (see FIG. 8) which pull the wholesystem (body+exoskeleton) into the direction of the movement.

The load carried by the user on its chest, shoulders and/or back is atleast partially supported by the shoulder member 110 and spine assembly120 of the torso section 100. The load is thus directed toward the backand along the spine assembly 120 which further directs it down to thehip section 200. The hip section 200 splits the load in two as itredirects it to the left and right hip members 220L and 220R. The leftand right hip members 220L and 220R further redirect the load down theleft and right leg sections 300L and 300R respectively. The leg sections300L and 300R then redirect the load from the outside of the legs towardthe inside of the legs such as to finally contact the ground near theinside of the feet of the user.

Hence, when the user wearing the exoskeleton 10 is standing, walking,running, kneeling, squatting, etc., this exoskeleton 10 takes at leastpart of the load which is on the torso of the user, lifts it away fromthe body and redirects it toward the ground underneath the feet of theuser.

Typically, the exoskeleton 10 is generally made of titanium or otherlightweight alloy. Still, the exoskeleton 10 could have some of itscomponents made of composite material, such as carbon fiber or aramidand/or a combination of both, the articulations and the vertebraeremaining however in titanium. In order to reduce the weight further,the titanium could be made of a sparse material (i.e. metallic alloycomprising embedded gas bubbles).

While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the inventionhave been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood thatthe inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employedand that the appended claims are intended to be construed to includesuch variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.

1. An exoskeleton configured to be worn by a user to support andtransfer a load carried by the user; the exoskeleton comprising a torsosection connected to a leg section via a hip section such as to transferthe load carried by the torso section down to the ground via the hipsection and then the leg section; wherein the leg section comprises twosymmetrical articulated leg assemblies, each leg assembly being adaptedto be maintained on each user's leg and to follow the leg's movementswhen the exoskeleton is in use, each leg assembly having an upper endoperatively connected to an outer side of the hip section and a bottomend adapted to be in contact with the ground, each leg assembly beingconfigured to transfer the load from the outer side of the hip sectionto an inner side of the user's leg before connecting to the ground. 2.The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein each leg assembly comprises: anupper leg member extending downwardly from the hip section and having anend pivotally connected to the hip section to allow the upper leg memberto move with respect to the hip section when the user moves; and a lowerleg member extending downwardly from the upper leg member and pivotallyconnected to the upper leg member, the pivotal connection between theupper and lower leg members being located at a knee level of the user toallow the lower leg member to follow the movements of the lower leg ofthe user with respect to the upper leg; the upper and lower leg membersextending downwardly and toward the inner side of the user's leg such asto transfer the load from the outside of the leg toward the inside ofthe leg and down on the inner side of the foot of the user.
 3. Theexoskeleton of claim 2, wherein: the upper leg member comprises an upperregion extending downwardly from the outer side of the hip sectiontoward a front of the leg, and then extending downwardly from the upperregion is a lower region terminated near the knee level by twoextremities as the lower region splits on each side of the leg; and thelower leg member comprises an upper region pivotally extending from thelower region of the upper leg member and a lower region extendingdownwardly therefrom toward the inner side of the user's leg, the upperregion of the lower member also splits in two extremities which are eachpivotally connected to the two extremities of the lower region of theupper leg member defining as such a central opening to allow the knee ofthe user to extend through said opening when the user kneels or squats;the pivotal connection between the said extremities being aligned withthe knee of the user in order to allow the leg of the user to bend alongthe knee.
 4. The exoskeleton of claim 2, wherein each leg assemblyfurther comprises a hip joint assembly for operatively connecting theupper leg member to the hip section, the hip joint assembly beingarticulated for transferring the user's movement between the hip and legsections, the hip joint assembly also comprising an adjusting system foradjusting a length of the leg assembly with a length of the user's leg.5. The exoskeleton of claim 4, wherein the hip joint assembly comprises:a belt connector to connect the hip joint assembly to the outer side ofthe hip section, a first hip joint member pivotally connected to thebelt connector such as to form a first pivotal connection, a second hipjoint member pivotally connected to the first hip joint member such asto form a second pivotal connection, and a third hip joint memberpivotally connected to the second hip joint member such as to form athird pivotal connection; and wherein: the first pivotal connectionbetween the belt connector and first hip joint member defines a firstpivot axis which allows for lateral or left-right movements of the legof the user, the second pivotal connection between the first hip jointmember and second hip joint member defines a second pivot axis whichallows for longitudinal or front-rear movements of the leg of the user,and the third pivotal connection between the third hip joint member andthe second hip joint member defines a third pivot axis which allows foraxial or rotational movements of the leg of the user; the three pivotaxis being perpendicular to each other, thereby generally providingthree degrees of freedom to the leg section providing as such movementsof the leg of the user during use.
 6. The exoskeleton of claim 2,wherein the lower leg member is terminated with a sole insert extendingoutwardly from the lower leg member and adapted to be received inside oroutside a user's footwear.
 7. The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein thetorso section of the exoskeleton comprises: a shoulder member configuredto rest on the shoulders of the user; and a spine assembly extendingdownwardly from the shoulder member along the user's spine andcomprising a plurality of spinal members wherein an uppermost spinalmember is connected to, or integral with, the shoulder member, while alowermost spinal member is connected to the hip section; the torsosection supporting and transferring the load carried by the shouldersand torso of the user toward the ground via the hip section and then theleg sections.
 8. The exoskeleton of claim 7, wherein the shoulder andspinal members are interconnected by resilient members to allow thespine assembly to compress or extend under load and to allow the spineassembly to relatively follow the movements of the user's torso.
 9. Theexoskeleton of claim 8, wherein the spinal members of the spine assemblyare interconnected using telescopic internal springs, inter-vertebraesprings, and/or spherical contact load transfer.
 10. The exoskeleton ofclaim 7, wherein the torso section also comprises at least one pair ofleft and right rib members which extend on each side of at least oneintermediate spinal member all the way to the front of the torso of theuser at the level of the user's lowest ribs, between the thorax andabdomen, for supporting and transferring the load carried by the thoraxor abdomen toward the spinal assembly and then toward the ground via thehip and leg sections.
 11. The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the hipsection comprises a lower back member connected to the torso section andleft and right hip members extending from each side of the lower backmember all the way to the front of the user, the left and right hipmembers having extremities provided with complementary fasteners such asto be attachable together to form a belt.
 12. The exoskeleton of claim1, wherein the exoskeleton further comprises a neck section configuredto assist in supporting the load carried by the head of the user, theneck section being removably connected to the torso section such as totransfer the load from the head and neck of the user toward the torsosection which will further transfer the load down to the ground via thehip and leg sections.
 13. The exoskeleton of claim 12, wherein the necksection is connected to the torso section via a vest integrated with thetorso section such as to allow the vest to secure the torso section tothe torso of the user.
 14. The exoskeleton of claim 12, wherein the necksection is adapted to be connected to a helmet worn by the user toprotect his head and/or to support the load to be carried by the user.15. The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the exoskeleton furthercomprises one or more resilient pads affixed between the exoskeleton andthe user for adding comfort when the user is wearing the exoskeleton.16. The exoskeleton of claim 1, further comprising a vest adaptable to asize of the user's torso for securing the torso section to the user'storso.
 17. The exoskeleton of claim 1, further comprising a plurality offastening assemblies for fastening the exoskeleton to the user.
 18. Theexoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the exoskeleton is a passiveexoskeleton.
 19. A method for supporting and transferring a load carrieddown to the ground, the method comprising the steps of: wearing anexoskeleton as claimed in claim 1; providing at least one load; andcarrying the at least one load using the torso section of theexoskeleton for transferring the at least one load from the outer sideof the hip section to an inner side of the leg section before connectingthe leg section to the ground.
 20. A method for supporting andtransferring a load carried down to the ground, the method comprisingthe steps of: wearing an exoskeleton comprising a torso sectiondownwardly connected to a leg section via a hip section; andtransferring the load carried by the torso section of the exoskeletonfrom the outer side of the hip section to an inner side of the legsection before connecting the leg section to the ground.